Unusual Appraisals

The Gorman Group is a nationally known commercial appraisal company. Since we are a Chicago-based company, a large percentage of our work is in this area. Our work also takes us around the country and we have appraised properties in over 25 states. Appraisal assignments have been diverse, from a fixed base operation in New Mexico, to a sewer system in South Dakota to land used as a solar array in Maine.

Our experts tend to have special expertise in niche areas like historic properties, golf courses or airport properties – properties that are generally considered unusual or unique.

Examples of what we have appraised include:

• The Auditorium Theatre building in Chicago, which also houses Roosevelt University, opened in 1889, was designated a National Landmark in 1975 and is also classified as a work of art.
• The Wright Brothers Bicycle Shop was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1990 and is where the brothers developed the mechanical experience and financial resources to begin their experiments into powered human flight.
• Other unusual properties include Sand Dunes on Lake Michigan, a Greyhound Dog Track, Small Airports, Go-Cart Tracks (indoor), Golf Courses across the country (including a PGA Stadium Course), a Historic 1850’s Railroad Roundhouse converted into a 50,000 SF Restaurant. It is the oldest still standing roundhouse in North America.
• Extraordinarily Odd Properties have included Globally Rare Earth in Northern Michigan, a Sewer System in South Dakota and a Depleted Quarry in Illinois

Chicago is simply a wonderful city to appraise in. Here we have just about every property type imaginable. We also have among the greatest economic diversities imaginable. We have Ford Heights, one of the poorest communities in the United States, and there is Kenilworth, one of the wealthiest. Appraising here has provided us with the opportunity to value all kinds of unusual properties. We’ve appraised globally rare earth, sand dunes, depleted sand mines, slug pits and even a dog track. We’ve been to Jamaica in New York City and the City of Yakima in Washington. Our location in Chicago makes us only hours away from virtually anywhere in the country.

This list is only meant to be representative of some of the types of properties we have appraised. Obviously, we appraise numerous common properties such as industrial buildings, subdivisions, shopping centers and warehouses. Properties with an asterisk have photos added.